WO1989003712A1

WO1989003712A1 - Roller skates comprising at least two rollers aligned along a medial plane

Info

Publication number: WO1989003712A1
Application number: PCT/CH1988/000192
Authority: WO
Inventors: José MURGA
Original assignee: Murga Jose
Priority date: 1987-10-23
Filing date: 1988-10-17
Publication date: 1989-05-05
Also published as: US5069462A; DE3877186D1; EP0340260B1; ATE83941T1; DE3877186T2; FR2622119A1; FR2622119B1; EP0340260A1; JPH02501711A

Abstract

The roller skates comprise a frame (3) provided with two or more rollers aligned one behind the other in a common medial plane. Each roller (4, 5) is configured like a narrow bobbin with two circular flanges provided with bandages and a recessed central hub mounted inside a ball bearing. This ball bearing is mounted in an orifice of a central plate (24) of the frame, said plate carrying also a front stop (6) and a rear stop (7). A member absorbing the shocks in the radial direction is interleaved between the ball bearing and the plate (24). Preferably, the frame (3) of the roller skates is fitted with a leg support (1) which is hinged with respect to a transverse axis (Y) at the ankle. A brake for braking the rollers (4, 5) may be mounted on the central plate (24) of the frame. Due to the particular shape of the rollers, their bearings and the frame are lighter.

Description

CASTER SKATE HAVING AT LEAST TWO CASTERS ALIGNED ALONG A MEDIAN PLAN

The present invention relates to a roller skate comprising a chassis, at least two rollers mounted on a lower part of this chassis and aligned one behind the other along a common median plane perpendicular to their axes of rotation, and holding means for fixing the chassis to a foot and to the corresponding leg of a user.

The utility certificate FR-A-2 312 11k and the corresponding patent US-A-072 317 describe a shoe of this kind, comprising two relatively wide aligned rollers. Each caster is mounted under the chassis between two parallel arms carrying the ends of its axis. To have the desired rigidity, this known assembly requires at least four very rigid arms, as well as roller axles which are relatively large and long enough to carry each caster by two parallel bearings. This construction thus has a fairly significant weight. In addition, the arms constitute, on each side of the casters, projecting elements which can strike the ground or various obstacles when skating, which is a source of danger and damage.

The patent US-A-18 929 also shows a shoe of the same kind, but provided with two narrow rollers mounted between two vertical plates of the chassis. This structure must also be heavy enough to have the desired rigidity, in particular from the point of view of transverse deformations, and the axes of the rollers are also prominent laterally.

The object of the present invention is to provide a shoe of the type indicated in the preamble, arranged so as to avoid the drawbacks mentioned above, in order to allow great freedom of development thanks to its lightness, its stability and the absence protruding side elements. For this purpose, the roller skate according to the invention is characterized in that each of the rollers has two circular cheeks substantially parallel and of the same diameter, and in that these two cheeks are integral with a central hub of smaller diameter which is mounted inside a rolling bearing mounted on the chassis and located in the median plane.

In this way, the wheels have the general shape of a very narrow coil which can rest on the ground by its two cheeks when it is perpendicular to the ground, or by only one when it is inclined. In addition, this coil can be supported only in the vicinity of its median plane, which avoids any protruding mount at the ends of the coil, that is to say on the sides of the pad. To be lightened, each caster can be hollowed out by a central hole axially traversing the entire caster.

Preferably, said lower part of the chassis comprises a central longitudinal plate located in the middle plane and in which the bearings of the two rollers are mounted, this plate being integral with a support plate extending under the foot of the user. .

In a particular embodiment, an elastic element is interposed between each rolling bearing and the chassis. To this end, each rolling bearing may comprise an outer ring provided externally with a radial flange mounted with a radial clearance in a groove of the chassis, an elastic material being interposed between this flange and the bottom of the groove to absorb shocks. The rolling bearing can be a ball bearing, the inner ring of which is formed by the hub of the caster. On the other hand, the outer edge of each cheek of the rollers can be covered with an elastomer bandage.

In a particular embodiment, a device for braking the rollers is mounted on the central plate of the chassis and comprises braking members mounted in a sliding manner along this plate to come into contact with the rollers, and a central control mechanism. Such a braking member may include at least one frame sliding comprising a wheel pressed against the central plate of the chassis and arranged to roll on the edge of a cheek of the corresponding wheel. On the other hand, at least one of the rollers can be equipped with a rotation mechanism in one direction to avoid rotation backwards.

In an advantageous embodiment, the holding means comprise a collar arranged to be fixed around the user's leg and connected to the chassis by a rigid mechanism transversely, but articulated with respect to a transverse axis at the level of the user's ankle.

The present invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a roller skate according to the invention, fixed to the foot and to the leg of a user,

fig. 2 is a front view showing the possibilities of lateral inclination of the skate and the leg,

fig. 3 is a side view showing the possibilities of longitudinal inclination of the leg when the two skate wheels are resting on the ground,

fig. is a schematic perspective view of a reel-shaped caster,

fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the profile of the skate frame,

fig. 6 is a side view of this chassis,

fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a caster and its frame, fig. 8 illustrates in partial cross-section another embodiment of a caster,

fig. 9 and 10 represent respectively in side view and in plan a device for braking the rollers,

fig. 1 1 represents a control cam for the braking device, and

fig. 12 is a side view showing the arrangement of two buffers on the skate frame.

Fig. 1 shows a roller skate according to the invention, fixed to one leg

I and the corresponding foot or shoe 2 of a user. The skate comprises a rigid frame 3 supporting the sole of the shoe 2 and equipped, in its lower part, with a front caster •, a rear caster 5, a front stopper 6 and a rear stopper 7. The frame 3 is attached to the shoe 2 using a conventional adjustable strap 8. Furthermore, the skate has a leg support 10 comprising a collar

II intended to be attached around the leg 1 of the user and connected to the chassis 3, on each side of the ankle 12 of the user, by a pair of rigid metal blades 13 and hinged together at 15 at the level of the dowel 12 to allow the collar 11 to tilt with the leg 1 forwards or backwards by pivoting w relative to a transverse axis Y, as shown in fig. 3. On the other hand, a relative lateral tilting of the chassis 3 relative to the leg 1, by a rotation w around the longitudinal axis Z, is prevented by the rigidity of the support 10. However, the leg 1 can still perform a certain pivoting w around its longitudinal axis X inside the collar II, so that the skater can direct the axis 2 of his foot as he wishes.

The transverse rigidity of the leg support 10 considerably relieves the efforts to be provided by the skater at the ankle. It also has the effect of maintaining the common median plane of the two rollers and 5 practically in coincidence with the longitudinal axis X of the leg 1 and tilt it laterally with the leg relative to the ground 19, as shown in fig. 2. The angle A between the extreme positions 1 ′ and 1 "of inclination of the leg is very large thanks to the narrowness of the rollers and the absence of projecting lateral elements at the level of the rollers.

Fig. 4 shows in perspective the schematic reel shape of the rollers 4 and 5, with two cheeks 20 which are parallel and symmetrical with respect to the median plane and which are rigidly connected by a central hub 21 whose outside diameter is less than theirs. The wheel preferably, but not necessarily, has a central hole 22 which makes it possible to lighten it.

Figs. 5 and 6 show more particularly the shape of the frame 3, formed essentially by a horizontal plate 23 supporting the sole ^'of the boot and a vertical plate 24 pierced by two large circular openings 25 and 26 for mounting the hubs 21 of the rollers and 5 , the cheeks 20 of each wheel being respecti¬ vely on either side of this plate 24. Of course, one could provide a similar pad having more than two consecutive rollers, mounted in alignment or in a curved longitudinal profile. Furthermore, the plate 24 is pierced with holes 27 and 28 for fixing the front buffers 6 and rear 7 with screws, and holes 29 and 30 for mounting a braking device which will be described later.

Fig. 7 shows in more detail an advantageous embodiment of a caster 4, 5 and its mounting in the plate 24 of the chassis. The hub 21 and the cheeks 20 of the wheel are made of a single rigid piece, preferably metallic, the periphery of the cheeks being provided with a bandage 32 made of relatively hard elastomer which has a quarter-circle profile. Near the hub 21, an enlarged space 33 is provided between the two cheeks 20 and contains a ball bearing 34 comprising an outer ring 35, the hub 21 serving directly as the inner ring of the bearing. The ring 35 has externally a flat rim 35a which is fitted into a rectangular profile groove formed in the thickness of the plate 24 and containing a relatively elastomer soft 36 which absorbs the shocks undergone by the caster, the ring 35 then sliding radially in the groove. In this example, the plate 24 must obviously have a removable part 24a around the lower half of each bearing 34, to allow the mounting of the rollers.

In the variant illustrated in FIG. 8, it is possible to reduce the interval between the two casings 32 of the caster wheel to a few millimeters, by giving the cheeks 20 a profile in the form of a vice and by providing in each face of the plate 24 a groove 38 in an arc for the passage of the tire 32. As the thinned part 39 of the plate 24 is in an arc, this does not result in a significant weakening of the plate. However, one of the cheeks 20 must be removable to allow the mounting and dismounting of the caster.

In addition, the rollers in the form of coils advantageously allow the mounting of a rotation mechanism in one direction (not shown) disposed between the internal surface of a cheek 20 and a lateral surface of the plate 24 or of the ring 35 It may for example be a metal washer with oblique fins cooperating with fine radial grooves formed in said surfaces, or a ball bearing of the "freewheel" type, which locks automatically as soon as it starts a backward rotation. Thus, the caster can only turn forward and allows the skater to propel himself easily, especially when climbing.

Figs. 9 to 11 illustrate an adjustable braking device 40 which is mounted on the plate 24 of the chassis between the two casters 4 and 5. For each caster, the braking device comprises a sliding frame 41 comprising a pair of metal plates 42 each provided with 'a head 43 and connected to each other by two pins 44 and 45 which can slide in the oblong holes 29 (fig. 6) of the frame. Each axis 44 and 45 carries a pair of braking wheels 46 and 47 of compressible material, which are arranged on either side of the plate 24 and which are pressed against it, for example by means of elastic washers, in order to ensure friction braking against this plate. The heads 43 two sliding frames are applied against a central cam 48 whose rotation is controlled by a rack 49 which slides longitudinally in a groove of the chassis under the effect of a rear pusher 50 (fig. 1) and a return spring . Furthermore, the rack 49 is held in position by a ratchet mechanism (not shown) which can be released by lifting the plunger 50. In the present case, it is noted that the cam 48 comprises, on each side of the chassis, cam surfaces 51 and 52 which are distinct for the front and rear braking mechanisms, but which are similar and angularly offset relative to one another to produce the same braking effect simultaneously in the two mechanisms.

The operation of the braking device will be described with reference also to FIG. 1 1 which shows the profile of one of the peripheral surfaces 51 of the cam 48, this cam being rotatable about its axis 53. The head 43 of the sliding frame 41 ^" is pressed against the surface 5 \ simply by the own elasticity of the material constituting the braking wheels 46 and 47. Different positions of the support of the head 43 against the surface 51 during the rotation of the cam are marked by a graduation going from 0 to 4. In position 0, the frame 41 is sufficiently retracted with respect to the corresponding caster 4, 5 so that the wheel 46 does not touch the tire 32 and the caster is therefore not braked In position 1, the wheel 46 bears lightly against the tire 32 and it slides on it, because its friction against the plate 24 is strong enough to prevent it from turning at this stage. In position 2 on the contrary, the friction of the wheel 46 on the tire 32 becomes stronger and turns the wheel 46 , the braking then taking place against the plate 24 In position 3, the thrust exerted by the caster is strong enough for the wheel 46 to move back until it touches the second braking wheel 47, thanks to its deformation by elasticity or, if necessary, thanks to a sliding elastic mounting of its axis 44 in the frame 41. The braking is then reinforced by the friction of the wheel 47 against the plate 24. Finally, in position 4, an even stronger braking is obtained making it possible to completely block the wheel, by pressing the head 43 against the wheel 47 thanks to the elasticity of the latter around the axis 45. The rack 49 is retained by a stop so that the cam 48 cannot rotate beyond from position 4.

This device makes it possible to solve in a simple way the problem of the metered and simultaneous braking of all the rollers of a skate to allow the skater to safely travel relatively steep descents. The skater can increase the braking force of a skate at any time by hitting the control pusher 50 by means of the front stopper 6 of the other skate. The release can be carried out by lifting the pusher 50 by means of the same stopper or manually.

Fig. 12 more specifically illustrates the use of the front bumpers 6 and rear 7. The skater can use the front bumper 6 to propel himself. He then inclines his foot forward, at an angle greater than the angle B which is equal to 41 ° in the present example, and he presses the stopper 6 against the ground 19 to propel himself forward. The stopper 7 acts as a friction brake against the ground. For this, the skater tilts his foot backwards, by an angle greater than the angle C which is preferably here 29 °. We note that the sum of the angles B + C, that is to say 70 °, is high enough to allow the skater a great freedom to tilt his foot forward or backward without the stops touching the ground while he is skating.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but on the contrary extends to all modifications or variants obvious to a person skilled in the art. In particular, any suitable material may be used for the construction of the various elements, for example steel, light metal or a rigid synthetic material for the chassis and for the rollers in the form of a coil. The articulated leg support 10 can also be the subject of multiple variants from the point of view of construction, padding and fixing devices to the leg, in particular as shown in the publications cited above. may include a half-shell applying over a certain height along the leg, or even be replaced by a complete shoe articulated or flexible longitudinally, to which the chassis is fixed 3. The publications DE-A-2 745 040 and CH-A-580'976 show different ways of attaching a skate frame formed mainly to the sole of a shoe by a central longitudinal plate.

Compared to conventional two-wheel skates, the skates according to the invention have the advantage of a central chassis which can be very rigid while being simple and light. The central plate of the chassis simultaneously carries the two wheels, the buffers and, if necessary, the braking device. Combined with the reel-shaped wheels, this simple construction allows for a skate that is lighter and less expensive than conventional skates. Thanks to their large hollowed-out hub, the reel-shaped casters are light and have an aesthetic appearance, and moreover they are mounted in large-diameter bearings which are space-saving while being very resistant to shocks thanks to the large number of beads they can hold. As the two tires of each caster are close to the median plane, the ground support points are always very close to this median plane. This allows the user to skate more precisely, easier and safer. The skates according to the invention allow a skater the same developments as those of an ice skater. The user wearing these skates can also move easily in the street or in a building, on longitudinal or transverse slopes and on stairs.

The invention applies as well to skates designed to evolve on a track or for figure skating, as to skates intended for movement on the street or in buildings.

Claims

claims

1. Roller skate comprising a chassis, at least two rollers mounted on a lower part of this chassis and aligned one behind the other along a common median plane perpendicular to their axes of rotation, and holding means for fixing the chassis to a foot and to the corresponding leg of a user, characterized in that each of the rollers (4, 5) has two circular cheeks (20) substantially parallel and of the same diameter, and in that these two cheeks are integral with a central hub (21) of smaller diameter which is mounted inside a rolling bearing mounted on the chassis (3) and located in the median plane.

2. Roller skate according to claim i, characterized in that said lower part of the chassis comprises a central longitudinal plate (24) located in the median plane and in which are mounted the bearings (34) of the two rollers, this plate being integral a support plate (23) extending under the foot of the user.

3. Roller skate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an elastic element (36) is interposed between each rolling bearing (34) and the chassis.

4. Roller skate according to claim 3, characterized in that each rolling bearing comprises an outer ring (35) provided externally with a radial flange (35a) mounted with a radial clearance in a groove of the chassis, an elastic material ( 36) being interposed between this rim and the bottom of the groove to absorb shocks.

5. Roller skate according to claim 4, characterized in that the rolling bearing is a ball bearing (34) whose inner ring is constituted by the hub (21) of the caster.

6. Roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer edge of each cheek (20) of the rollers is covered with a bandage (32) made of elastomer.

7. Roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that each caster (4, 5) is hollowed out by a central hole (22) axially passing through the entire caster.

8. Roller skate according to claim 2, characterized in that a device (40) for braking the rollers is mounted on the central plate (24) of the chassis and comprises braking members (41 to 47) mounted in a sliding manner along this plate to come into contact with the rollers, and a central control mechanism (48 to 52)

9. Roller skate according to claim 8, characterized in that a braking member comprises at least one sliding frame (41) carrying a wheel (46) pressed against the central plate (24) of the chassis and arranged to roll on the edge (32) of a cheek of the corresponding roulette.

10. Roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one roller (4, 5) is equipped with a rotation mechanism in one direction, to prevent rotation backwards.

1 1. Roller skate according to claim 1, characterized in that said holding means (10) comprise a collar (1 1) arranged to be fixed around the user's leg and connected to the chassis by a mechanism (13 to 15) rigid transversely, but articulated with respect to a transverse axis (Y) at the level of the ankle of the user.